Chapter Eighteen

The humid air of Yavin IV stank with decomposing organic matter. Over the past week, the Jedi had been deconstructing the Shaper complexes. The now-dead debris had been decaying quickly. The liberated slaves were assisting the Jedi with the clean-up. Mirax Terrik-Horn had volunteered to transport the captives to the Alliance base. She was only able to take small groups at a time.

Jaina pushed a loose tendril of hair behind her ear as she climbed over a collapsed damatuk support. She held her ignited blade in the other hand. Lightsaber blades sliced through the dying material with little effort. Her shoulders ached from days of cutting and moving pieces. Sweat poured down her face and body.

"Jaina!" Nichos called. She turned to face him. He had removed his shirt and was tearing it into strips. Jaina jogged over to him. He was tying the strips around his knees where his pants had torn and around his hands. She could see blisters on his palms.

"You have to let the pieces cool first before touching them," Jaina said wryly.

"I know, I know," he responded and then gestured to the left of where they were standing. "Some jungle creature is taking the remains."

"Really? Do you know what they are?"

"No idea, but I was thinking that if it's not hurting them, let the local wildlife help us. Instead of you Jedi moving everything over to the stink pile, we can throw it over at the edge of the jungle," Nichos suggested. "Can't you Jedi commune with animals or something?"

Jaina chuckled, "Let me find Jacen."

She found Jacen standing in the lambet field. He was staring at one of the stalks intently, arms crossed across his chest. She could sense wistfulness and pain radiating off him.

"Jacen?" she asked gently. "Is something wrong?"

"I was just thinking," he said, eyes locking with hers, "about Anakin."

"Me too," she said quietly. She took his hand in hers. "Remember when the Academy had to be rebuilt before? Anakin was the one that figured out the most effective way to put it back together. It's not the same process, but it could give us a starting point."

"He thought it was a puzzle," Jacen added. Jaina nodded. She swiped her eye, where a tear had gathered. Jacen continued, "I wonder if Mom and Dad kept the master file on the Falcon."

"Probably. Dad never clears the computers," Jaina said. She could already hear her father's protests at such a suggestion. He claimed that everything stored in the Falcon's memory gave it character.

"They're at Phelope, right?" Jacen asked as he shot her a knowing look.

"Yeah."

"Give them a call," Jacen said, and then asked. "What did you need?"

"Oh, right. Nichos noticed some creature is taking the dead chunks of damutek into the forest, probably for dinner. He suggested we put the debris closer to the edge and encourage it to take it," Jaina explained. "I figured you would be able to figure out how to do that."

Jacen nodded, "Sure. I'll take care of it. Go to the Shadow and try to raise Mom and Dad."

"Thanks, Jace," Jaina said as she walked away.

"Oh and Jaina?"

"Yes?" She turned her head to look back at him.

"Say hello to Ani and Davin for me."

Jaina smiled at him, nodded and continued towards the patch of land that served as a landing pad.

The children had been cooped up for three days. A torrential rainstorm had kept everyone inside. Han had taken Ani and Davin off of Syal's hands for the afternoon. Their lessons had been canceled and they were bored.

Solo," Han said as he answered his pinging comlink.

"There's a transmission for you," Wyn's voice called over the speaker. She was handling most of the communication and security monitoring.

"From?"

"Jaina."

Two chairs clattered to the floor as Davin and Ani leapt from their chairs at the table across the room. They were supposed to be working on a lesson. Syal and Leia kept on the children to complete their coursework, but Han was willing to look the other way for now. After all, he was determined to be the fun grandparent; he'd promised they'd do something different that afternoon.

"Mama's calling?" Ani asked excitedly. "Can we talk to her? Please?"

"Sure, come on," Han said, and then responded into the comlink, "I'm on my way."

The two children dragged Han out of the apartment to the communication center. They released Han's hands when they were close enough to see the small image of their mother talking to Wyn. Ani and Davin bolted across the room. Wyn was barely able to move out of their way as they climbed into the chair.

Han waited off to the side with Wyn while Jaina spoke with her children. As he watched, he could remember Jaina, Jacen and Anakin as children talking excitedly to him or Leia. It broke his heart every time he had had to leave his children. He hated that Jaina had to do the same thing.

"Grandpa? Mama says she has to talk to you," Davin called. Han took a few steps over so he was within view.

"Hi, Dad. You haven't removed any files from the Falcon, right?"

Han eyed her. She knew the answer to that question. He would never tamper with the Falcon's memory systems. There was no guarantee it would work if he did. He asked, "What do you need?"

"Do you remember when Anakin created those plans for the Jedi Temple? He saved the master file on the Falcon. Can you find it and transmit it to the Shadow?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure," Han said, swallowing hard. It didn't matter how many years had passed, the loss of his youngest son would never leave him. He warmed his heart that Anakin's hard work years ago could still be put to use.

"Thanks so much," she said, flashing a grateful smile at him.

"Mama, when are you gonna see us?" Ani asked, interrupting the conversation.

"I'm not sure, sweetie. I promise I'll come see you soon." Han could see Jaina's pained expression. He wished he could ignore the crestfallen looks on Ani and Davin's faces.

Han said goodbye and then stepped out to let Jaina finish talking to her children. After the transmission ended, Davin gently pulled Ani from the chair. "Come on, Ani."

"Okay," she mumbled, clearly distraught. Han was determined to cheer them up. He walked over and scooped her up, causing her to giggle. "Grandpa!"

"I need to go out to the Falcon and find something for your mom. I can't do it without my two favorite mechanics," he said. Both children loved spending time on his legendary ship. Davin enjoyed "fixing" things and pretending to fly. Ani would explore and ask what happened in various areas of the ship.

Davin asked in disbelief, "Really?"

"Yep, come on, kids. I bet I can find some sugared winterberries aboard," Han said with a knowing look.

Davin and Ani's eyes grew wide. Davin said in a hushed voice, "Really? We haven't had those since Csilla."

"Yep, just don't tell your friends," Han said as they left the communication center, "Or your grandmothers."

Luke tapped his fingers against his leg in thought. Jaina and Jacen had brought him Anakin's plans from the previous rebuilding. Luke liked the idea of reconstruction the Temple to look as it had, but they needed materials. The Vong had completely destroyed the former Academy. Its underground caverns and foundation were still intact, at least.

"We need credits," Luke mused.

Mara glanced at him from her seat at a computer terminal in the Shadow. "When don't we?"

"I want to rebuild the Academy, but we can't afford the supplies. I don't even know where to find them. It's not like before when we could use the stones that had been blown from it or have a team of artists reconstruct them," Luke explained. "I can't ask the Alliance. They don't have enough."

"Well, you could talk to Tenel Ka," Mara suggested.

"I would hate to ask her for help again. She's already taking a large political risk for us by hiding the Jedi in her system," Luke replied.

Mara shrugged, "We wouldn't need that much money. We could probably find some kind of stonework cheap enough. Debris or something."

Luke didn't respond as he glanced over the screen again. She was right; he knew it. He would have to go to Hapes. He hated to leave the Jedi, though, not when they needed him. He could send Jacen and Jaina instead.

"We'll need to take a request to Wedge for some replacement X-Wings," Mara commented. They'd lost several in the attack. "Kyp, Jaina and Corran need to get back. They could ask him."

"I'll talk to them in the morning," Luke replied. "What about sending Jacen to Hapes?"

Mara shook her head, "No, I think we need him here. We don't know what's crawling in that jungle. "

"Good point," Luke conceded. He'd heard about the local animal life helping with the clean-up process. He remembered that his sister was in the system, "I'll call Leia."

"She's probably bored," Mara commented wryly.

"I doubt it. Not only is she keeping an eye on the Jedi and chasing around Ben, Ani and Davin, but she's babysitting Han. You know he's getting those kids into all sorts of trouble."

"Like I said she's bored," Mara replied with a chuckle as she walked over to him. "Your sister chased Han and their three kids and held together a government. This must feel like a vacation."

"You're right, of course."

"Aren't I always?" Mara responded as she plopped down onto his lap. "It would do you good to remember that, dear husband."

Four Shapers stood glaring at Stav, Nichos and their other guards. The Shapers had been stripped of their implants. The Jedi were transferring the Shapers to secure cells on the Errant Venture via shuttle. The Shapers were all Adepts, two males and two females.

The most-tattooed female suddenly lunged forward, baring a sharp piece of coral, taking everyone by surprise. She thrust it into Stav's back.

"Stav!" Nichos screamed as Stav fell to the ground. He yanked his blaster off his belt and shot the Shaper. The other Shapers took advantage of the distraction and attacked. They had no weapons, just used their hands.

Nichos was vaguely aware of the others and a couple Jedi taking down the Shapers. He fell to his knees. His hands shook as he moved Stav into a more comfortable position. "It's going to be okay, Stav. We'll get you help."

Stav coughed as he shook his head, "No. Not enough time."

Nichos's eyes blurred with tears. Stav couldn't be dying. They'd been through so much together. They'd trained together. They'd been recaptured together and had worked together to convince the slaves to trust them. Stav had become his best friend, his brother.

"Maddie is here and Abby," Stav whispered, eyes growing glassy. "They want me to come with them."

"Go," Nichos rasped out. Stav's wife, Maddie and his daughter had been killed in the first stages of the war. Stav had witnessed their deaths. They'd been the last two to be allowed onto the landing field for the refugee ships. A local politician demanded access. He had let out an insane shriek of rage, pulled out his blaster and mowed down many of the refugees before he was stopped. Stav had tried to break past the barricade as he watched his wife and child murdered.

A final breath shuddered through Stav's body and his lifeless eyes stared towards the sky. Nichos closed his eyelids. Tears rolled down his cheeks and landed on his friend's face. It wasn't fair. They'd succeeded. They had won. They weren't supposed to die. He knew Stav had never gotten over the loss of his family, but he was determined to save others from their fate.

Nichos hoped that Maddie and Abby had really come for Stav. He hoped they were happy again.

A hand clapped on his shoulder. Nichos looked up to see Jacen Solo. The Jedi knelt down, "Do you want to move him to the pyre?"

Nichos nodded. He moved behind Stav's head and lifted his shoulders. Jacen picked up his legs. They carried the man to a makeshift funeral pyre the Jedi had constructed shortly after the battle. All the dead had been burned there. Jacen and Nichos slid Stav's body on the structure. Jacen removed the coral dagger from his back. He turned and lit two torches.

"Do you want to say anything?" Jacen asked as he handed him a torch.

Nichos nodded. He rested a hand on Stav's shoulder, "I won't forget, Stav. I promise."

Nichos set the torch next to Stav's body. Jacen laid the other one down. They watched as flames consumed the man. Nichos ran a hand over his eyes as the heat began to sting. Months ago, Stav had been injured and developed a fever. He made Nichos promise that if he died, once the war was over, he would return to where his family had died and place a marker.

Jacen squeezed his shoulder, "Thank you, Nichos. We couldn't have done this without you and Stav. He'll be remembered."

Nichos nodded in thanks as Jacen walked off. He stared at the pyre until the flames flickered out. He stood waiting until the wind blew Stav's ashes into the humid atmosphere.

"I'm so sorry, Stav," Nichos whispered as the last black flecks danced overhead. "I'll finish this, I swear."

Three X-Wings landed on the hanger bay floor. The cockpits hissed open slowly, slower than Jag thought possible. His eyes stayed glued on the middle craft. He could see his wife quickly removing her helmet. He watched as she climbed out of the cockpit and jumped to the ground. Jag moved towards her as she threw herself into his arms.

The sensation of Jaina's body against his again was almost overwhelming. He pulled away from her just enough to kiss her. Her hands clutched the front of his shirt. His hands wound into her hair as the sounds of the hanger faded away.

"Going to let her breathe, Fel?" Kyp called out.

Jag ended the kiss, but didn't release his hold on Jaina. He glared at Kyp, and growled, "What?"

"How's my squadron?" Kyp asked with amusement.

"You know they're in top shape," Corran said as he clapped a hand on Kyp's shoulder. "Come on. Help me beg for some more X-Wings from Wedge."

"Need my help?" Jaina asked, glancing over from Jag's chest.

"Nah," Corran said, waving dismissively.

"The squadron reports are up-to-date," Jag called as the two walked off.

"I missed you," Jaina said, turning his face back to hers.

"I missed you, too," Jag whispered, brushing her lips with his.

"Let's get out of here," Jaina suggested. She moved away from him, grasping his hand. As they walked through the hallway, she said, "I spoke to Ani and Davin two days ago."

Jag eyed her. She didn't sound like she knew about the problem with Ani. It wasn't a conversation he wanted to have in public. "Cem's here," he said instead.

"Oh really? Doing what?" she asked.

Jag filled Jaina in on what his brother had been doing. The conversation lasted until they entered their quarters. Jaina turned to face him, arms crossed, as soon as the door closed. "Okay, what's going on? You didn't ask anything about the children."

"Ani's not cooperating," he began. He told Jaina about what Cem had told him.

Jaina sank down in a chair. She massaged her temples with her fingers, "That figures."

"What?" Jag asked, surprised at her reaction. He moved to stand behind her and began massaging her shoulders. Her head drifted to the side.

"I used to do the same thing. I'd be extremely difficult when something was wrong or Mom and Dad hadn't been around," Jaina said with a groan. "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know," he responded truthfully. They could call and tell her to behave, but that wasn't going to work. She was upset, understandably so, and was acting out. The worst part was that Jag felt guilty about it. "How were they otherwise?"

"Good," she responded. "They've both grown. Davin lost another tooth. He wanted us to know that he didn't bleed very much."

Jag shook his head, chuckling, "What about Ani?"

"The same," she sighed. "She talked about how much she missed us and wanted us to come see her. I hate myself for disappointing her."

"She asked the same in the message Cem brought," he said warily. He couldn't erase the image of his daughter's pale green pleading eyes from his mind.

"Jag, we have to do something. I know exactly how she feels. I was that child. She doesn't understand what's going on. Davin says he understands, but he must feel the same way," Jaina clutched his hand, desperation in her eyes. He hated when she looked at him like that. He couldn't disagree with her, especially when he wanted the same thing.

He crouched in front of her. "I don't know, sweetheart. I wish we could go to them."

Jaina sniffed, "I miss them. It used to drive me nuts when Ani and Davin would wake up before me and jump on the bed, but now I wish they'd be there tomorrow morning."

"What do you want to do, Jaina?" Jag asked. Guilt flooded through him. It'd been his idea to return. He knew that they had to, but it didn't make him feel any better. He'd hardly spent any time with his children. It ate at him like a cancer, hovering at the edge of his vision.

"I want my babies back," Jaina said, staring at him. "Are they really safer there? The Vong could find them there. Yes, the Cluster is harder to navigate, but let's face it; those security measures are more effective against Peace Brigaders. At least here we can protect them ourselves."

"We're always leaving, Jaina," Jag argued. He wanted to agree with her. He wanted to jump in the next shuttle and bring their children home. He wanted to come home to them every day. He needed them. They gave him a purpose, determination. They made him want to push harder.

"Your mother will come, Jag; you know she won't leave her grandchildren alone. Besides, your father will get to see her more often. We can ask her," Jaina pointed out. "Wedge and Iella kept Myri and Syal here after the attack."

"Jaina…" he said slowly. "Is this really a good idea?"

"Don't you want them here?"

"More than anything, but Jaina, if there's an attack…"

"We did it before, Jag. We kept Davin with us. He only had to stay with the others for a couple months," Jaina pointed out. They had taken Davin to Shelter a couple months after he was born, but retrieved him several months later. She slid onto the floor so she was sitting next to him. "I can't leave them alone any longer. This is the right thing to do, I know it is."

Jag stared into her pleading eyes. He knew that Jaina wouldn't put their children at risk. If she said it would be okay, he believed her. He had to believe her. He smiled at her, "Okay. Let's bring them home."

Jaina nearly knocked him to the ground in excitement.